Why Do You Know That?
by thebetterstarwing
Summary: Background on why Scorpius is such a geek. Note: Some of the dialogue/content was taken from the Cursed Child, but some of the events in the play did not happen in my story.


Scorpius learned his history at a young age. As soon as he was able to read, his father gave him some books about the First and Second Wizarding Wars. It was quite a shock to him, reading his own last name on the wrong side. Perhaps the biggest shock was what he found in the "Theories" section of one of the books. He didn't quite understand all of it, but he understood "Voldemort, Child, Time-turner, and Malfoy."

And suddenly Scorpius was conscious. When he went out, he was aware of the stares. He heard the whispers. He heard things that were definitely not whispers. Things such as, "Hey, is your father really Voldemort?" Perfect strangers just walked up and asked him. They knew his name well enough, but Scorpius never got theirs. And he never knew how to answer those questions. Draco told him to just say no to those people, but they never seemed satisfied with that. There were always follow-ups.

"Really, the Ministry has such spotty records of the Time-Turners being destroyed- I'm positive there's one in your house."

"Wasn't Voldemort living at your house twenty years ago? That would make going back in time so much easier if you know what I mean."

"Can you talk to snakes like Voldemort?"

Scorpius was constantly bombarded with these questions, and they lingered in his head well after the people who asked had left. Every day, Scorpius found himself opening up the books his father gave him, looking for answers hidden in the pages. He read everything he could find in Malfoy Manor on the wizarding wars, perusing through the dusty leaves. He came to enjoy this reading time. He thought of it as arming himself. Next time someone asked him about his family, he'd have knowlege to defend him. When he closed the last cover of the last book in his house, he ventured out to the library. Thinking that checking out a book on Voldemort would arouse suspicion, he would take a book and hide himself in a dusty corner until the library closed for the day. Scorpius never felt more confident than he did while reading, and there were even some times when he wanted someone to ask him about Voldemort so that he could show off his knowledge. He would have the answers before they even had the questions.

Even with all his knowledge, Scorpius was nervous about going to Hogwarts. The stares and whispers were getting more intense, and he did not expect it to cease anytime soon. Especially since he would now be attending school with children whose parents saw the atrocities of Voldemort firsthand. Scorpius took a good hard look in the mirror. With his blond hair, pale skin, and pointed face, there was no denying that he is the son of Draco Malfoy. The former, yes, _former_ Death Eater. Scorpius's eyes looked back at him from the mirror. Besides his father and grandfather, he was the only person he knew who has grey eyes. Funny, he thought, that he should look so much like the people he acted the least like.

Wearing a scratchy new robe and dragging a heavy trunk behind him, Scorpius hurried to get on the train and find an empty compartment before someone else did. He did not expect anyone to sit by him, but he knew that if he was the last one on the train, no one would allow him to sit next to them. Scorpius found a compartment and sat down. He was surprised when Albus Potter and Rose Granger-Weasley came in! The son of Harry Potter and the daughter of Hermione Granger! And he was even more surprised when the daughter of Hermione, with a face that matched her Weasley curls, accused his parents of being Death Eaters. And while Scorpius corrected her, this was not what he expected at all out of the daughter of the Minister of Magic herself. He was just trying to offer candy. It was unfair. He was probably the only person in the world to have his parents be accused of being Death Eaters after offering a peppermint imp.

"Your parents are Death Eaters!" She told him. _Are._ As if both Draco and Astoria are committing atrocities against Muggleborns and trying to dominate the world. They are not Death Eaters. That was in the past. Scorpius sometimes feels as if he is in the past more than the present, what with all the reading he does, but he understands the difference. Surely Hermione would have taught Rose?

Luckily, he had a friend in Albus. He was glad when they were sorted in the same house, although he was not so glad when he realized what most students thought of Slytherin. It was the snake house, the house of Voldemort. Dark Wizards came from Slytherin. Scorpius wanted to show his house pride, but he was too afraid that someone say something about him being a Death Eater, or related to Voldemort.

Except for Albus, there was nothing that Scorpius enjoyed at Hogarts. He liked learning at home and in the library, when no one was there. Here at school, everyone stares. And whispers. And shouts. Scorpius found himself buried in books now more than ever, arming himself with defenses for all the things that were said to him on a daily basis.

Scorpius especially dreaded History Of Magic. The curriculum focused heavily on the Wizarding wars, which made sense seeing that most of the students have parents who are veterans, but Scorpius was always uncomfortable. He could feel the stares of his classmates, many of whom had never even had a conversation with him. He felt his face heat up, and knew that everyone could see him growing red through his pale skin. His scarf was helpful in this situation, and he learned how to wrap it around himself to hide while in plain sight.

And as if getting the facts wasn't enough, Scorpius also found himself checking his behavior. He had to be polite. Laugh at jokes. But not if they offend someone. They couldn't see him do anything that might let them know that maybe he is the son of Voldemort. Scorpius avoided people as much as he can. He hated being under the scrutinizing eye of the Hogwarts students. He wished for an escape.

That's when he started noticing Rose. She was pretty, popular, a Quidditch player a Gryffindor, the daughter of the brightest witch of her age who also happens to be the Minister of Magic. Everything he wasn't. No one spread rumors about her. No one questioned her parentage or looked to see her reaction any time someone mentioned Voldemort. If he dated her, her friends would have to accept him. No daughter of Hermione Granger would date the son of Voldemort. They would know once and for all that he was Draco and Astoria's son. Scorpius knew that if someone liked him, he would want to receive a lot of compliments, so that's what he decided to do with Rose. Turns out, she thinks smelling like bread is a bad thing. Again, Scorpius thought of how unfair things were, and if only he were someone else, his compliment would be received with a smile instead of a turned back.

Scorpius eventually gave up. He realized that Rose could not be the solution to his problems. He fell into a slump, not trying anything to improve his image. He started doing all the things he used to be afraid to do. He cheered loudly for his house at Quidditch, even though he did follow the game very well. He participated in his classes, sharing the knowledge that he's accumulated over the years. Even out of class, he would share things, getting a strange look from people as mealtime conversations in the Great Hall often went like this,  
"Boy, that new Professor is strict! She has even less of a soul that Voldemort!"  
"Due to splitting his soul in half, and then splitting that half in half and doing it seven times,Voldemort had .78% of a soul when Harry Potter defeated him."  
"Why...do..you know that...?"  
And Scorpius just shrugs.

And he realized that he was passionate about history and would often say things in class that made everyone laugh. Maybe one day he could teach the class, if only Professor Binns decided to retire. Or if ghosts could die again. Unfortunately, none of Scorpius's research offered any evidence that they could. But he could still imagine himself in the future, at the front of the classroom getting students interested in history and what really happened in the past. As he graduated Hogwarts and went on to an internship at the Ministry, he still had this image in his mind.

19 Years Later

The students were all buzzing with excitement. This year, Professor Binns declared himself to need a vacation, and a new teacher was coming in. Many of the students had heard of this teacher. They heard he was the son of Voldemort, then they read that he wasn't in "Chapter 1:Why I Know That" of _Things They Don't Teach You In History of Magic: Unknown Secrets of the Second Wizarding War, A Comprehensive Guide by S. Malfoy._ Although it wasn't required for class, every student had a copy. They glanced toward the door eagerly, listening for the footsteps to approach.

"Sorry I'm late! This isn't a good start at all. Oh, let me introduce myself. I am you new History of Magic teacher, Professor Malfoy." He smiled at his students, finally happy to be looked at.


End file.
